Friday, August 13, 2010

You Know What Really Grinds My Gears?

Like everyone else, I am feeling the Irish slide Flight Attendant Slater-son busted out on the Jet Blue flight last week. I also like the NY Post. And the interwebz. This week, world's collided and I read an article on Slater in the Post's online edition. One thing in particular I like about the online version of the Post is the comment section. Amazing people with an amazing amount of time on their hands write amazing things. But reading comments from those claiming to be current or former flight attendants put me over the edge.

I am sure the job is tough. So is mine. Customers can be rude. Sometimes mine are, too. I am sure flight attendants get fed up. I do, too. But the online-commenting-airline-personnel types who have chosen this as their moment to lash out at airline passengers the world over are failing to realize how much flying these days sucks....really, really, really sucks...for the passengers, too.

And while I do respect Slater for really sticking it to the man and grabbing 1/3 of a sixer for the road, I am sure the chain of events that led him to the Pittsburgh - JFK flight did not include getting ripped off on the price of a ticket, a ridiculous line at the ticket counter/electronic check-in machine/bag check where the dude with the wand makes you hope that bag wasn't the one you packed when you went to Bonarroo two years ago, another line at security where you get the twice-over on your drivers license and person, shoe removal, laptop removal, a full body scan that some creepy judge has on file forever, a solid wanding, and for good measure bad/no food.

Why are airline passengers generally in a foul mood? Because the airline industry is hell bent on putting them there. Could passengers be a little nicer? Yes. Could the airlines make travelers lives a little better? Definitely.

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